


RaInBoW

by UsEnOnAmE



Category: Haikyuu!!, Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: Basketball, Fanfiction, Friendship, High School, Hurt Hinata Shouyou, Hurt/Comfort, Love, Middle School, Multi, Volleyball, Yaoi
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2021-02-01
Updated: 2021-03-08
Packaged: 2021-03-12 05:54:57
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 7
Words: 13,124
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/29130648
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/UsEnOnAmE/pseuds/UsEnOnAmE
Summary: You see, as a leader, Akashi vowed for his team to be absolute.The Generation of Miracles was, is, and will be unbeatable. He made sure of that, and led them to victory with an iron fist to ensure their prosperity. But as some miscalculations happened, the group was starting to be a mess.Unthinkable. Unconceivable. Out of the question.
Relationships: Akashi Seijuurou/Hinata Shouyou, Hinata Shouyou/Kageyama Tobio
Comments: 3
Kudos: 38





	1. Who

**Author's Note:**

> I do not own any of these work, this is just a fan fiction, please enjoy your Reading!

"Sho-kun."

The time seems to stop, around him.

This tone.

This voice.

The red-head stops himself, and he takes time to understand who was actually right behind him.

His smile slowly disappears.

He hears some steps towards him, and a frenetic breathing.

Was the time really slow, or was it just him?

He had the impression that yes, it was the time.

Sweat drops start to come across his face, and he doesn't feel this good anymore.

Oh well.

It was an incredibly familiar voice.

Kageyama gives him a weird look, above his shoulder, when he feels that the little exited sun of his team has brutally stopped all movements, and was now frozen on the floor, his two hand firmly gripped on his sport bag, eyes wide.

The black-haired setter raises one of his fine eyebrows.

Tobio now stopped, it was then the time for Tsukishima to ask himself why these idiots had to stop in halfway of the team cloakroom. They all went together at the bathroom, after the match against Aoba-Josai that they won, and on a moment of euphoria, everyone knew that the duo could be really dangerous if left alone.

That's why Suga assigned Tsukishima to watch them, so that no one of these fools went and buried the stadium with one of their stupid challenges.

All it took was a dark look from the grey-haired elder, and Tsukishima sighed as he accepted.

Trust him, you wouldn't want to anger the mama, even if he would never vocally admit it, of course. 

And now here they were, outside the toilets, with the duo suddenly frozen in place. He turns around with an exasperated sigh, and discovers with curiosity that Hinata was strangely calm.

With a unusual blank expression in the face.

Tobio and Tsukishima exchanged confused stares.

"Sho-kun, turn around, please."

A voice..? A calm, composed one.

And it's with shock that they discerns a presence behind their number ten. They jump a little when they clearly see pale blue hair.

What kind of colour was it..? And since when was he here?!

It was a boy with the same height of Shouyou, or maybe a little taller with pale skin and blue eyes. He held in his arms a basket-ball, that Kei eyed with boredom.

An idiot again, huh.

"Oi, Hinata.", growls Kageyama, "Do you know him?"

But the concerned one doesn't let his attention be taken away from the floor, and a silence takes over the place. His small hands tighten around his bag, and his jaw squeezes.

And suddenly, he raises his head.

Kageyama lopen his big blue pearls and look at him, startled.

The look his partner is giving them is far form the usual one.

More nostalgic and foreign, angry, and a little lost too, Burning with a fire that Tobio isn't recognizing.

The blond raises one of his eyebrow, waiting for the continuation.

Hinata takes a shaky breath.

His two comrades stares at him, surely asking themselves what's wrong with him, but before they could open their mouth, he turns around.

"It's been a while, Kuroko."

Kuroko blinks, and seems surprised. His eyes take a sad and melancholic shade.

Orange meet light blue.

The two of them face each-other, eye to eye.

Tsukishima couldn't stop himself to think of some similarities between them. Strangely, these two looked good together, with their hair colours.

He suppresses a scoff.

It wasn't just this. Their auras.. were bothering him. The newcomer had a thing that was similar to Hinata's, in a sense. He was small, but something was off. 

In a sense, without even speaking to him, Kei just knew that this one was the same as Shouyou.. Some weird human, some obsessive freak about sport, some idiot.

But this one had this one thing..

He was different from Hinata. This boy played dumb with a blank face, but his eyes were of a totally different matter. They were darker than his hair, appearing smart and calculating.

He definitely met this look somewhere. After a moment, his brain unconsciously linked these empty blue eyes with the setter of Nekoma.

Quite similar, but seeming colder than the blond setter.

Freak.

And really? Tsukishima knew how the little monster of his team worked. He treated specially any players that he considered as a threat to his game. Furthermore, Shouyou obviously knew him, and this much stiffness in his small body just meant one thing : This boy was an uncomfortable memory for their little monster. 

And he would be a fool if he underestimated this Kuroko right now, with the look Hinata threw at him.

"Come back, Sho-kun."

The blond sees the orange haired boy's posture stiffen. Kageyama decides it's enough and step headed a little.

"Hinata. You didn't answer."

The called one doesn't move, and doesn't speak either.

It was really disturbing, taking into account that it was Hinata, who did that.

"It's finished, Sho-Kun. They returned to their old self."

Hinata gasps, and for the first time, stares the blue one in the eyes, with a question clearly written in his face. Some trouble. Some hope, and at the bottom, some joy.

His lips shake a moment, before the soft look of his interlocutor.

Kuroko seems to frown, when he sees Hinata in such a weak position, and his eyes became coupable, before giving his friend a reassuring smile.

A small, but true and gentle smile.

The smallest blinks. And before he has the time to do anything, the boy walks to him, and takes him in his arms in front of their small audience, consisted of two confused faces.

But if Hinata don't try to stop him from invading his space, he does not move either. He just let the blue do whatever he wants, and put his head on the other shoulder, with an unreadable expression.

He don't make any comment on how Kuroko inhaled his sent, in his neck.

"If only you knew how much time I spent searching for you.."

His whisper reaches his ears.

And while all of that, Hinata contented himself with the boy's sent as well, giving him a hug in return, finally giving in with a small sigh.

After some minutes, they separated, and the boy took his hands, a determinate glint in the eyes.

"Give me your number."

"What?"

The angry hiss of Kageyama cut their discussion, and they turned in his direction. The snarling rictus of Tobio, his tighten fists and his furious expression made the newcomer's eyes narrow.

"Who the fuck are you? Why would he give you his number?"

The growl that follows this sentence seems to make Kuroko realise something, as he blinks.

He analysed the tall boy with some curiosity, and made some goings and comings between him and Hinata, before letting a small breath pass his mouth, an almost amused expression in the face, in front of Kei.

Tsukishima crosses his arms, and leans against the fence, after rolling his eyes.

Not this dumb, apparently.

"That's the captain who'll be happy."

This simple sentence had Hinata's body stiffen, as he implored Kuroko, who had his phone out, quickly sending a text to who knows before closing it and wink at the horrified face of the orange.

How could he do it so quickly?!

"No. Don't say anything to him."

"Too late.", Kuroko shuddered, internally eager to see the reaction of a certain red-haired of this news.

Hinata had a fucking boyfriend.

He couldn't wait to see the other reaction.

Hinata, him, is just frozen.

His panicked state don't calm Tobio, as he takes his rival's arm, to go far from this.. This weird guy!

Tsukishima follows them lazily, not without glancing at the apparition one last time.

...

Who just disappeared..?

...

So Shoyou wasn't making fun of them, huh.

He grumbles while frowning, before watching Shoyou's back in front of him with disgust.

He despited freaks.

And fuck, this Kuroko sure was scary.

The look that the bow threw at the when he embraced Hinata, while he whispered something they couldn't hear..

At this moment, his big eyes were constantly staring at them.

His fucking gaze.

It was what held them from stepping in, and take Hinata away from Kuroko.

He was furious, and menacing. Glaring at them with such darkness..

A hateful glint in his light, beautiful orbs.


	2. You

"Huh?! Who are you?!!"

"Kuroko Testuya."

"So you are the gymnasium's ghost?!"

"..I don't know what you're talking about."

A frown.

"But.. Daiki told me to come here so that I can brave my fears.."

"..Are you disappointed?"

A silence.

A grin.

"Hum, no. Because you have a ball! You're training, right? Can I play with you? Pretty please!"

"No. I rather play alone, thank you."

"Ehhhh?!"

"Don't scream in my ears, please."

"But how do you play alone at basketball? You can't."

This time, it's the other, who's blinking at the smallest's evidence.

"You can't play alone in sport, y'know? Huh, maybe in tennis or in ping-pong, but not at this one, you dummy."

A surprised expression meet the boy .. who just sticked his tongue out to him?

"Anyway! Just give the pass to me okay?"

The ball is in Tetsuya's hand. He decides he won't give it to this weirdo.

But when he sees the flash of orange running toward the hoop..

When he sees this boy running at the fastest speed Kuroko had seen in his life..

His eyes widen. His mouth opens a little.

His body reacts without his consent.

He can't help himself.

He garants the selfish wish of the orange boy, and passes the ball to him.

Not too long, not too short.

Just the best timing he could do.

Then, a radiant smile answer his pass, and he sees this weirdo fly.

Fly, and fly, as if he would never come down the floor.

Then, he dunks.

Kuroko didn't.

He didn't regret this action, back time.

He doesn't, in the present.

He won't, in the future.

Because actually, when he think of it, it was the best damn encounter of his life. 

And he was ready to bring him back, no matter what.

"Oh, really?!"

"Yes!"

"Are you fucking sure of this?!"

"Why are you staring to get mad now?!"

The amused sigh he let out is now lost in the air with a thick haze of the heat, because of the cold that surrounds them.

Steps are hitting the concrete, with jerky respirations. The cold is making his nose pink, but it doesn't really matter, because his attention is all on the small and energic ball of sun at his left, who walk at the same speed as him, the two of them heading at the school gymnase.

He adjusts his black scarf, before putting his hands in his pockets, without letting the orange head out of his vison.

The smallest had a big, luminous smile, and turned to face his companion, who frowned sightly.

"You don't believe me?! I'm the one who won yesterday! We were at 50-53 for me!"

The proud smile of Shouyou annoys his mate, as he hit the smallest with a pinch in the forehead, making hime giggle. Kageyama growls, and Hinata raises his hand as a peace sign, calming the tall one in an instant.

But he frowns when he sees the impassible face of the other.

"Anyway. You still aren't goin' to tell me who was the weirdo of the other day?"

Wind was then the only sound to make it in Tobio's ears, for a moment.

A remarquable changement went through Shoyou's body. He tensed, and his expression froze, before leaving a dark light into his eyes. Kageyama recognise the sign of stress when it comes to Shouyou, so he directly knows that he is not really comfortable talking about it, when he twiddle his bag's strap.

He sigh in his head, a little annoyed of the other's reticence, as he silently wait for the answer.

"I've told you already. It's my middle-school's schoolmate."

"I'm not dumb. What's making no sense, is your reaction."

The growl of the dark-haired boy don't even make Hinata flinch.

Tobio clicks his tongue, and takes his companion's arms to stick their body together, to take in one hand the other's jaw, so there is no escape possible.

He ignore Hinata's blush, and go on.

"What had he done for you to make such a face?"

The oldest blinked, bellow his curious cadet. A glint of sadness went into his eyes, and his lips started to tremble.

"L-Let me go-"

Kageyama tightened his grip.

He lets a shaky breath out of his small mouth, and hesitate one moment, before letting out a sentence.

"I moved."

Tobio's eyes narrow.

"Hah?"

"When I met you for the first time. The game. I was already installed at Tokyo because of my father, but I really wanted to play one last time with my friends."

He continues, under the troubled gaze of the number nine.

"Dad had a reward, and a new post. We moved to Tokyo. So I had to go to Tokyo, the nearest school."

Slowly but surely, the setter let his grasp go, allowing the smallest his precedent wish, excluding his hand which remains firmly gripped on the other's jaw, so that Hinata looks at him.

"I directly went to the volley-ball club.."

The setter snorts.

Obliviously.

What he doesn't understand, is the frustrated face of Hinata, his frown, and his lost look, who could kill someone now, with the hatred he had inside his eyes.

"But they said I wasn't tall enough."

Kageyama tensed, and took time to assimilates the other's speech.

An angel passes above them.

Hinata? Forbidden to play?

"I trained at the end of classes, with the rare permissions teachers gave me." A bitter laugh comes out. "Haha, are you imagining this shit? I was alone."

Kageyama gulps. He doesn't even try to imagine his own reaction of it was him, in his place.. He would certainly take out his anger on everybody.

"And one day, Captain found me."

Captain?

It was a whisper, like a little secret, and Kageyama had to bend down to listen the following sentences.

"I played basket-ball for the first time, this night."

He resumes, with the sparkling eyes of Hinata, and his delighted smile, that basket-ball wasn't an uninteresting experience.

He even had calmed at the mention of this sport, a little pink shade on his cheeks, and a timid look, as if talking about a confidence.

They pause some seconds.

"Basket-ball?", grumble Tobio.

The orange-haired get out of his thoughts, and blinks a several times, before taking avantage of his partner's confusion, and flee free, running as if his life was in danger, towards the gymnasium's doors.

Tobio stay still some seconds, before realising all of this. The vein on his forehead twitches sightly.

He starts running.

"You..Fucking dumbass!"

But Hinata, with his cheating, was already by the doors, and who was entering, a big smile on his face, as if nothing had happened outside the court.

He could hear the screeching of his teammates' shoes against the flooring.

"Late again, you two?!"

The angry tone of Sugawara make them flinch, and they bow deeply, screaming at unison an apology.

They go change, not without throwing some hateful gazes at Tsukishima, who was snickering at them.

Tobio didn't take the risk to ask about his mate's past, worried it would affect his game's statistics. Once they put on their jerseys, they went in, and didn't speak a word.

The court.

Their game's and hunting's territory.

Soon, the duo took place at a game against the second years, while the third year commented.

Today was a special day. The coach was giving them this training's day to do whatever they wanted, because they won against the great and almighty Aoba Jousai academy.

"One more time, Tobio!"

Hinata gave hime a huge grin, and the setter almost beloved that the flowers who bloomed behind the orange-haired male were real, blinding as he was.

He don't think he could ever understand this human.

Actually, can this orange thing really compare to a human being?

Why would Hinata calls him by his first name, to begin with?

Outside of the court, he just called him Kageyama, with respect and a little more distance.

Strangely, Nishinoya has the right of it too. Even if the second year was just delighted to find out that Hinata thought of him as a close friend.

Nobody knew why. And when we asked him, he would just tilt his head, while shrugging, with the simple, but scary smile he loved to make when serious and angry.

Tsukishima blocked one more time Tanaka's attack, at the desperation of the other's team.

"Yay, Tsukishimaaaa!"

Kei snort at Shoyou's burst of joy.

"Next time is your chance, Ryo!"

"Pfft."

"TSUKISHIMA, YOU LITTL-"

"Tanaka-sempai! No swearings!"

"What are you? Five?"

"Just to make it clear, I'm the oldest of the first year here, so-"

"Not in all the senses..."

"Tsukki! Stop provoking him.."

"TSUKISHIMA, BEND DOWN SO I CAN HIT YOUR DAMN-"

"It wouldn't be suffisent for your tiny body."

"WHA-"

"SILENCE."

The agressive voice of the captain made everyone silent, as Suga sighed tiredly.

"Tsukishima, Tanaka, the bench is waiting for you."

The two players obeyed, under the satisfied look of Hinata, to whom Tsukishima tried to kill with one glance.

The number ten turn toward his favorite setter, and meet a face full of pity.

"You kid."

But before he could defend himself, screams made him jump.

All of the Karasuno's players stopped their activities, to look curiously at each other, before turning their attention on the half-open door.

Girl's yells.

Fans..?

They stiffen.

They knew only one person who could assemble such amount of girls with just its presence.

Kageyama make the ball in his hand deflate, because of the pression he exerces, and his eyes becomes more dark, behind his black hair. Even though they won against him, he was still an enemy.

But the team realises that it isn't the perfect brown colour of Oikawa's hair who stepped on the floor.

It's not his knowing smile, his superior attitude, or his entire being who seemed to be ready at any moment for a picture, that they saw.

Nishinoya et Tanaka stopped their intimidation, when they understood that it was a complete stranger.

Tobio observes the man, attentive at each of his actions, as the blond close the door behind him, under the protestation of the crowd.

He could see him locking the door, and finally, the newcomer turned toward them.

A blond.

Not like Tsukishima or Hitoka.

This blond.. Was particularly shining.

He was huge, too, Kageyama open his eyes wide, realising his height.

About one hundred eighty centimetres.

Like Wakatoshi.

The aura he let out wasn't to be mixed with some beginners, and stone muscles coule be seen if Kakegama looked well.

This guy was a sportif. A cocky one, it seems.

He wore a jersey, under his jacket, with a long short, without forgetting leggings below it, and surely a tee-shirt as well, because of the cold.

His skin was a little tanned, and his ears were pierced. A smile a little too arrogant in the eyes of Tobio, and his hands were inside his pockets, as he continued to walk toward them.

His golden eyes watched them all, before he froze.

All his body stopped, and he went still.

Daichi was one of the first to get out of the trance, and asked nicely:

"Uhm...Can we help you?"

The blond opened a little his eyes, and the golden glint of his eyes shone with more intensity, under the shadow of his hair.

Tobio felt a shudder on his back, and held back a snarl.

This one isn't good news.

These eyes..

It reminded him of someone.

The smile he did made the number nine tense, with everybody else, without knowing why. 

A joyful and delighted grin.

"Found you, Sho-cchi."

His voice suited his looks. Clair, confident, but in the same time, intense, and oppressive.

The setter looked for Hinata, and discovered that everyone was staring at the newcomer, before landing his deep blue eyes on his middle blocker.

The number ten held a ball between his arm and his hip, his body straight and his head high.

His mate wasn't excepting the face he made.

He was doing 𝒊𝒕.

The thing he did when he was angry, or extremely concentred. Like when Ushiwaka treated Oikawa's team badly.

He did some goings and comings between them, and understood almost directly.

The blond had this thing too.

He too, had 𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒔.

The orange-haired was just responding.

But never had he see Hinata this calm before.

And at the same time, with such a cold expression.

Ah.., - He realised, not even surprised - Shoyou was furious.

He had gotten used to the red-haired's bipolarity.


	3. Really

"Not you too, Ryouta.."

"Why not? They are weak, I am strong."

"We are a team! We win and lose togeth-"

"Bullshit", a growls echoes, "Dai-cchi was right. And even if we do it together, isn't it unfair for our opponents? You speak about us and all, but aren't you the worst of us?"

A gasp.

And a ball who fall on the flooring.

"You are suggesting to crush them, huh." A sneer, "As excepted from the kind of player you are."

The shock hits him.

"Enough, Kise!", scold a feminine voice, who went ignored.

But he can't hear anymore.

All he does is run, and he vaguely hears some voices calling out for him.

But he doesn't turn.

He just want to go back.

He want to go back to that time so badly. 

"What are you doing here?"

Damn..

It was a whole new conception for Kageyama.

A calm and composed Hinata Shouyou.

"You should know it, right?"

The happy tone of the blond resonated through the gymnasium, without even one sound to disturb it.

Shouyou doesn't reply, just contenting himself by analysing the newcomer. Then, the blonde, without loosing his shiny smile, started to walk closer, seeming itchy to do something, as he bounced from his feet.

But something is holding him back, understands Tsukishima.

Maybe the death glare the number Ten is actually giving him.

He stopped just in front of Daichi, a few feet away from Hinata and Kageyama, who were somehow behind all of the scene.

"Is it your new "captain"?"

His voice didn't change, amused and playful.

Nevertheless, the number one had his instinct screaming for him to stay away from this golden and predatory gaze.

"Back off."

It was the orange-haired, who appeared between the two in less than a few seconds.

Tobio blinks, before turning on his side to discover the empty space Hinata left, eyes wide. He turned to face the scene, a dumbstruck expression on his face.

The blond ignored him, his eyes fixed on Daichi, and reached out to greet him, under an angry Hinata.

His jaw was clenched, and his eyebrows frowned, as a scary glow passed in his eyes. He immediately grasped the forearm of the outsider, and prevented him to do what he wanted to, gaining his attention.

The golden eyes watched him with such intensity, that Yamaguchi flinched. But Hinata seems unfazed, even if he's clearly disadvantaged with the difference of muscle and height.

"I'm just doing the greetings from Captain. I'm sure you already knew it, right?"

At the mention of this name, Shouyou relaxes a little and anger disappears of his face, as he hesitates. His grip loosen and he stares at the tallest, suspicious.

"I didn't think he would send you first, Kise."

After a pregnant silence, the presumed Kise chuckles. A low, deep breath, who seems somewhat without joy. He approches Hinata, who tries to put on a poker face.

"Is this a joke?"

"Back off."

Kise blinks, at the growl Kageyama had given him. He turns around, only to meet a furious black-haired guy, and raises an eyebrow at this, an interested smile on his perfect lips.

Hinata clenches his jaw, and adresses a strange stare at Kageyama, who mistakes it for fear, as he approches him and to stand by his side.

"What are you doing to my cadet?"

Nishinoya speaks up, reaching them in a matter of seconds. He raises his head so that he can look at Kise, and doesn't seem scared at all, as the vein pops up in his forehead, and a dark glint appears in his brown eyes.

He ignores Tanaka's calls, and doesn't budge from this position.

Kise doesn't move for a moment, taking informations.

He finally burst out, laughing loudly, under the weird look of all the team.

"Ahahaha!"

Nishinoya growls and if his eyes were bullets, Kise would be lying in the floor with blood around him already.

Kageyama watches as Hinata takes a step forward, a little.. Anxious..?

Stressed.

"So he was right! There was two of them!"

He finally calms down, several seconds later, and wipes a drop of tears from the corner of his eye.

Hinata grits his teeth together, and holds Yuu back from jumping in the face of Kise.

Nishinoya looks at him, surprised, when Hinata put him behind his body.

Then a pressure make his body tense, and an incredible aura gives shivers to his entire body. Kageyama is just behind them, and feels the same thing. His body obligate him to turn in front of the source of danger.

This is Kise.

Kise with a thrilling smile on his face, looking at the three of them.

Kise with no more gold, but with a fluorescent yellow flash in his orbs.

Delighted.

And so, Hinata takes a step.

Under the eyes of all the team, a clash happen.

The air around them is less bearable, for the team, and they all take a step back, exept for the setter and the libero.

Nishinoya and him look at each other, and instantly understand, as they force their mind to go deep, deep and deeper.

More, more and more concentration, until their body can't think about anything but this, just this and only this.

𝑴𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒎𝒐𝒓𝒆 𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒏𝒐𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒍𝒔𝒆 𝑨𝑵𝑫-

Then, and only when their mind can't reach further down, they can open their eyes.

The pressure is lighter.

Was Shoyou doing it?

Huh.

He was, realised Kageyama, but it was something.. Something so much stronger than other times.

So much more darker and angrier.

Such intensity getting out of this tiny body was really incredible.

The difference and similarities between the two was frightening.

And Tobio can see, when he himself is doing it.

He sees for the first time what is a confrontation between two players inside it.

Inside the doors of maximal concentration, where a shadow accompanied them. This beautiful door that Tobio often sees in himself, locked. This mesmerising, amazing deep blue and dark ocean he likes to dive in, abandoning himself into total and absolute focus on something.

He absolutely adore this sensation of utter assemblage.

"I guess you've been holding yourself back, hum." Snorts Kise, not quitting his attention out of the orange-haired. "You don't go full-zone. What a pity."

The team was just paralysed. Daichi wanted to come and calm things, but he understands, he feels that he should't interfere.

Who will, with four intense freaks glaring at each other, disturb this tension?

"Go back, Ryouta. And say to Captain that this kind of greetings aren't necessary."

Ryouta grins, like a mad man, satisfied.

"He said to meet him with these two, tomorrow."

He makes a movement with his head, indicating Tobio and Yuu, just behind Shoyou. The number ten look over his right shoulder and is a little surprised to see them in this state.

Neither of them seem disturbed, just frowning and watching all of Kise's and Hinata's movement.

"I don't want to get them involved." The low voice the middle blocker is using make the libero and the setter immediately want to play. It is a desire itching under their skins, that they want to ravish. "Don't touch them."

"You and me know you don't have any choice." Hummed Ryouta, looking now at Hinata. "He already found out about it all, so you should just give in."

Nishinoya don't know who "He" is, but the clenching of his cadet's fists is a reaction that made him want to know the level of this person. He said it was their "Captain", huh. But Daichi was already here, so it would be his precedent one.

Except if these two still considered "He" as their Captain..? Even though they weren't in the same team anymore? Was it, like, a scary guy you couldn't forget about or something? That would mean that this person was a powerful player.

This is promising.

Kise just appeared, they just met him. But they didn't need him to demonstrate anything, because all his being screamed that he trained for a long time to have this body.

Moreover, the fact that he could effortlessly go in it, and his capacity to instantly spot them, the two other Karasuno's player who could do it too, was incredible.

Kise is so much more powerful than Ushijima. They kew it, they could feel it. 

A stronger player than Kise, huh. Their captain. 

A 𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏.

Yuu didn't have to look beside him to know that Tobio had exactly the same thoughts as him. Because they both restrained their twitching lips from forming a thrilling smile.

Under the curious looks of the rest of the team.

And the disgusted one of Tsukishima.

"Very well."

Hinata declares, suddenly.

Then, all of the pressure goes down, and the tension disappears, as the two return to their usual self. Kageyama and Nishinoya does it to, after assuring that there was no need of it anymore.

Tsukishima hold back a snort, when he sees that everyone is slowly calming down.

Fucking dumbasses.

Kise's grin grows.

"Tomorrow afternoon at two o'clock, you know where."

The declaration is short and breve, but they can feel that it's full of meaning, when Shouyou close firmly his eyes for a second, letting a sigh out of his mouth, for opening it again, in front of Ryouta's shiny smile.

This guy was worse than Oikawa, they swear.

Then, all of sudden, Kise jumps at Hinata, hugging him closely, as the victim squirms and gasps at first.

Then, the orange relaxes, and returns the hug, ignoring the incredulous looks of his teammates, who were dumbstruck by the changing behaviour of the blonde.

Hinata even caresses the golden hair with some fondness, shocking them with his small but soft glint beautifully emitted by his eyes.

An expression of peace.

Kise doesn't seem like he want to let go, so Kageyama hisses at him, making him frown at the setter with frustration.

He glares at the number nine, without Shoyou knowing and brings him closer, causing Tobio to take a step forward.

He is curiously stopped by Nishinoya, and surprised, he looks for an explanation, only to meet a serious face.

He steps back, obeying silently.

Then, an arrogant smile appears in the perfect face of the blond, and he too did back off, ruffing Shoyou's hair a little. He looks some seconds at the small orange, and an instant, Kageyama can see a glint of tenderness in his eyes.

Then, a whisper, barely audible, but understandable.

"Please, come."

Hinata rolls his eyes, and huffs a little.

Nishinoya can see his hands shake behind his back.

Like he can see the sightly quiver of the blond's lips, who disappeared faster than he appeared.

Ryouta turn around, and walk toward the doors, making all of them looking at him.

"Oh!", Kise says, shouting so the middle blocker can hear him, "He's going to be upset you know?"

Kageyama is confused to see the cheeks of his attacker redden a lot.

"He said it was unacceptable for you to be with him. But from what I've seen, I think that he's not this terrible, if he can go to the zone."

Kise glances at a troubled Tobio, and throw him a cold look, before smiling at Hinata, and leaving through the gates.

The screams of the girls are back.

And then the door close, a silence taking over the place.


	4. Are

"Wouahh! You're so tall, I can't see your eyes!"

The purple giant huffs, and abandon the distraction of his candy to look down on a certain orange head. 

Just one thought came in his head.

Small. 

So crushable.

"Why can't I have your height?"

His desperate grumble almost made the big one smile, but instead, he sigh, and stares at the other. 

"It's cruel, isn't it?", a smirk appears on his lips. On the curious look the smallest gives him, he adds : "Sports. I'm naturally strong, and you're naturally weak. The tall crushes the small."

"Huh? But, playing-"

"Playing? So you find it enjoyable?"

"Of course yes! Why would you play it, if it wasn't funny for you?"

"Even if you're jealous of my height? "

"Mh, mh! But If I'm not as gifted as you, all I have to do is beat you with my own capacities, I guess."

Murasakibara raises an eyebrow, somewhat interested in the logical fact and the scary smile the other is giving him. 

The look the orange gave him at this moment made him think that this little thing wasn't this crushable anymore. 

Weird. 

Small but not weak, huh.

Atsushi blinks, and hands him one of his sweets. 

Without even thinking about it.

The other seems surprised, but after a moment, grins widely. 

And takes it.

"So? What's your name, Chibi-chin?"

"What did you just call me?!"

"So, this is Teiko."

Kageyama and Nishinoya are in each of his sides, somehow looking like his bodyguards, when he speaks. 

Suga insisted that they take care of the small ball of sunshine, because the only ones allowed to accompany him were these two. When the team said to Hinata that they didn't care about coming too, the orange-head had became pale, and started to beg them to stay out of it, saying that there won't be any harm done to them. 

His sigh doesn't reach their ears, because they are busy being impressed at the enormous, big, school building who rises right in front of them, only separated by a barrier. 

The exterior is very clean, without a trace of trash. There isn't any students, which is understandable, taking in account that this is a Sunday. But they can feel the strange atmosphere of seriousness who envelop the entire place.

Shoyou takes out something of his right pocket, that the two other can describe as a card, a red one. He put in in front of an automatic box, who scans the object.

"Access permitted, Hinata Shouyou."

Yuu huffs, and Tobio rolls his eyes, as they follow their friend, who wait for the barriers to open, and then, takes a deep breath. 

He walks, towards the main gates.

They go through it, and cross the hall, to arrive in front of a transparent door, who reveals, a big empty space, with at a distance, the biggest gymnasium they saw in a while. 

The form of half a bubble, standing big in front of them, impressed Tobio. But he forces himself to stay serious, and stays behind his favorite middle blocker, imitating the actions of the libero. 

The song of screeching shoes echoes, along with what they imaging as some balls who're hitting the ground.

Hinata and them find themselves in front of the double door, and Hinata hesitates, but complies, with the looks the others are giving him. He put his hands on each of the two door handles, and sharply opens them. 

Kageyama sees first a big court of Basket-ball, in the centre of all, surrounded by others, who are more small, with two big hoops in each of his sides.

Then, he sees colours, vaguely. 

Because suddenly, a yellow thing his running toward them, as if his life depends on it.

He only identifies it as Kise when he opens his mouth to scream.

"SHO-CCHIIIIIIIIII!"

He jumps on his victim, and hug him tightly, under the shocked looks of Tobio and Yuu, who were fixated on the face of the golden boy. 

He wore a huge grin, cheeks turning a little red, and eyes full of joy. Nothing related to the arrogant boy they saw yesterday. This Kise.. He was beaming like a child. He wasn't wearing the same calculated smile he fixe on his face yesterday.

Just a boy full of positive energy, glued at their middle blocker with all he got, making him sigh deeply, but hugging him back anyway, muttering a reply to his greetings. 

"Hi to you too." Ryouta glanced at the two other, giving them a fast smile, when he received nods to his salute, and turning back to the orange-head after. "You came.."

"Of course. I'd rather not be assassinated thank you."

Ryouta giggled, and took his arm to drag him with him as he walked, followed by Karasuno's players, who kept their wary attitudes. 

Kageyama then understood that the colors were persons, people in a sort of.. cercle..? Strange.

They were all looking at them, but their position was weird, as if they were doing a meeting, all around the centre circle who separated the two sides of the court. 

There was first a purple-hair guy, in his vision, who stood in all his fucking height. What the fuck, was he even real? He never saw someone so big in reality, and this one looked almost bored, as if he knew what others thought when thew were looking at him. It made Kageyama blink, uncertain on how to take the information of the big amount of candies in his arms. Their eyes locked, and the number nine suppressed a shiver, directly moving into the person right next to him. 

A green-haired boy, not as tall, but big enough to impress, arms put on his tights, looking right at their eyes, through is glasses, with bandages at his fingers. He looked almost normal, if the odd doll he was with didn't ruin his regular looks. He gave the impression to be cold, firm and straight at his actions. But he knew this one wasn't a joke, with the wired aura that surrounded him, and strangely, Kageyama found himself think that they were a bit alike, somehow. A strange vibe.

At his right, stood at the same height, a big tanned guy, who was blue-haired, this time. He was really well built, and his sharp gaze almost made Tobio uncomfortable, as he fixed their eyes. He looked like a punk, with his hands in his pockets, and his lazy pose. Kameyama wanted to punch something when this one gave him the most arrogant smile he ever saw in his life. He despited this kind of persons, he absolutely hated them. 

As he quickly changed the direction of his eyes, not to commit a crime, the setter came across Kuroko, the boy from last time. He contained a growl, when he was reminded of the bold action this one did when he asked for Hinata's number. Kuroko's impassible eyes made his blood boil. Urg, he wanted to choke him. 

Just at the left of the purple guy stood a red-haired guy, that seemed to be as tall as the blue and green ones, but.. different. He gaves this strange vibe of.. Wildness? His eyebrows were odds, too, furrowed like that, but his face didn't made anything to anger the setter, strangely. This one was rather calm. As if he was witnessing the whole thing. 

And just between him and Kuroko, stood a man.

Tobio opened his blue eyes wide, when he first put them on this one. He saw, in the corner of his eyes, that Nishinoya did the same, too.

And if he found strange that none of opened their mouth to speak at first, he quickly understood why, some seconds after.

"Shouyou."

Hinata reacted immediately, giving all of his attention to this voice.

This voice.

Not high, not low.

It wasn't an order, nor a demand, but the almost instinctive way the orange-haired has turned his head in response to this simple word gave shivers down to Kageyama's spine. 

What the heck.

It was simply a voice.

But the amount of control and power inside it was terrifying.


	5. Is

Fucking life.

Fucking middle-school.

Fucking girls.

Fucking sports.

Fucking future.

Fucking baske-

"You're Aomine Daiki, right?"

A short male looks up at him, with shining eyes.

"Everyone speaks about you! I'm new to the basket-ball club, and I heard you're one of the best first years here, so-"

His fast talking shuts the dark thoughts off his mind for a second, fulling his attention with exited eyes. And the raging storm inside Aomine's heart calms down a little bit for a moment. He raises an eyebrow, and lets out a sneer.

"Uh-Uh. But a shrimp like you could dream a thousand times before even thinking about beating me."

"...What did you say?!"

"Shrimp.", a smirk appears.

"You..You gorilla!"

"What? Wanna fight?!"

"I'll take you whenever!"

"Don't think you can win, you little-"

"Even if I'm short, I'm not weak!"

The other blinks, surprised, before the fierce eyes who are looking straight at him with an angry glare.

"You're weak. You're small and obliviously not strong."

But if Aomine was waiting for teary eyes, he was troubled when he saw that the face in front of him didn't change.

Didn't loose its determination.

"We'll see about it! What about now?"

Aomine wanted to sleep.

To shove this short boy's body away, so that he would be alone.

"Deal."

But accepted, after all.

And then, they shared a handshake.

A simple gesture.

The two of them can't bring themselves to think that this first meeting would led them into a storm of crazy events. 

"You must be Shouyou's teammates."

A man.

Somewhat at the same height than Kuroko, standing proud on his feet, his arms crossed under the white jersey he wore on his shoulders.

His hair were weird, as expected Kageyama. Well, the actually rainbow was just in front of his eyes, so this doesn't make any sense if there's a normal color, now.

Tobio clenched his fists, when he saw the eyes of the man. Deep, and intense amethyst, piercing and fierce, as if he had the power to go inside anyone's brain.

"We are.", Nishinoya said, reacting first, and earning the attention of everyone. Not noticing the way the pink, almost red haired dude slightly narrowed his eyes, he continued, throwing a hesitating smile at them. "I am Nishinoya Yuu, and he is Kageyama Tobio."

Nishinoya never hesitated. But Tobio could understand his nervousness.

Hinata didn't move since the presentation.

He seemed to try to make himself the smallest possible, and didn't even look at the cercle, adverting his gaze to look at the several balls in the floor.

"Hi, Shou-chin."

He tensed, when he heard a deep voice calling him.

And after a moment of reticence, he finally gave in, and looked at the biggest guy of them all, who was still eating, but this time, with a light, lazy smile on his face, while staring at Hinata.

The orange head had a dumbstruck expression, when the tallest approached him, and took a step back unconsciously, wary about the attention that everybody gave him at this moment, and overall, the titan walking towards his small form. 

Tobio scowled, and with an urge of protectiveness, initiated a gesture to shield the middle blocker.

But a hand quickly grabbed his forearm, and he turned, surprised to see Ryouta, who glanced at him with a reassuring smile.

It didn't help him calm down at all.

Hinata was now just separated by a few steps from the purple titan, and Yuu looked ready to step in at any threats.

"Stop it, Murasakibara."

A silence filled the gymnasium, after Hinata snapped.

Kageyama knew his attacker.

Hinata, even if some people believed the contrary, was really good at hiding his emotions, sometimes.

He had spoken with a calm and soft voice.

It was a short sentence, but full of hatred, venom and fear at the same time.

And this presumed Murasakibara actually stopped.

"Hm? But Sho-chin, I wanted to give you some of my candies."

Was this titan pouting?

What the fuck was wrong with these weirdos?

"What the fuck, Kise, you never said that he'd come with company..", Yuu turned his head slightly, to look at the big tanned guy, who had dark-blue hair. "Why did he bring his fucking teammates along, anyway?"

"Don't be grumpy, Dai-cchi!"

Did we already pointed out that this one looked like a punk?

Well he did.

His lazy pose and his disrespectful manners as he didn't even gave them any attention when he mentioned them made the libero want to punch his freaking teeth.

Shouyou didn't even acknowledged him, and ignored the way Kageyama came near him, watching Murasakibara's every movements.

"So that's the member you've been rambling about."

This time, Hinata reacted fiercely, and made eye contact with the player who had dark red hair, with a frown and a bit of confusion in his gaze.

"He is.", replied the tall, green-haired dude, nodding while placing correctly the glasses he wore on his nose.

"Who are you?"

The question the middle blocker asked was directed at the man who had weird eyebrows.

Then, Kuroko interrupted the discussion.

"He's one of my team's players. We play at the same school."

He spoke fast, rushing his words as if he wanted this sentence to print on Hinata's mind.

Kagami raised one of his eyebrows, and held the stare of Hinata.

The orange head tenses, under the heavy gaze, and a melancholic glint pass through his big eyes.

That's not what he wasnted to hear. Who was he to them? Why was he here? How comes-

Tobio, at this moment, could have been able to feel his attacker's trouble and sadness from miles away.

"Move."

Sharp, short and intense.

A simple order, who held so much more inside.

Tobio's arm instinctively reached Hinata's shoulders, as he put all his attention into the leader of these people.

It was the player with the number four on his torso, still in the same position as before, still looking at Hinata.

It took a while for Nishinoya to understand that this order wasn't directed to any of them.

The one who was told to move was this Taiga.

And he did, not without grunting, but he did. He stepped backwards, and came towards the green-haired guy.

"Come."

The number one orders, but this time, with an evident softness in his voice.

It was lighter, much more bearable than the last one.

Hinata hesitates, a second, before grabbing Kageyama's hand, and starting to walk, nearly followed by their libero. And in the end, Hinata and Kuroko found themselves alongside the number four.

Nishinoya was just between Kagami and Kageyama, in an almost funny scene. Their height difference didn't impress the smallest, though. He had the chin up in a proud way, and stared at anyone who would dare and try to meet his eyes.

Tobio had only eyes for Hinata.

He studied his every movement.

"All of us are going to introduce ourselves, before we start."

The number one said, in a firm tone. Faint grumbles could be heard, but the silence fell over the place when the number one suddenly smiled.

In a creepy way.

"Seijūrō Akashi. I am the point guard, and the captain of this team."

Then, and only when Akashi allowed, with a positive movement of his head, toward the blue-haired male next to him, Kuroko followed.

"He means he's a passer. A point guard is a control tower in Basketball, and it can be compared to a setter in Volley-ball. Tetsuya Kuroko, I guess you could say that I'm at the same position than Seijūrō-kun."

Nobody noticed Hinata's eyes widening.

Impassive, without emotion in his voice. This Kuroko was definitely weird.

A contrast with the next person.

"You already know me, but anyway, I'm Ryouta Kise, small forward!", a bright smile, who could easily be compared with one of these toothpaste advertisings, greeted them. "I'm concentrated in attacks and defense, so I'm very maleable. I Heard my position is the same as middle blocker." 

A growl followed.

"Shut up, yer too loud." The blue-haired guy ignored Kise's face of indignation, and continued, while yawning. "Daiki Aomine, power forward, or attacker, if ya want. Just storing points I guess."

Next was glasses-kun. Who was frowning deeply.

"Shintarou Midorima. I'm the shooting guard of the team."

Clear enough.

And now, the titan. Still with his candies, and still looking bored.

"I'm Atsushi Murasakibara, the center." He yawns for a moment, before adding: "I'm the defender, in other terms."

And to finish, Taiga.

"Taiga Kagami, power forward."

Nishinoya didn't even have the time to react to the fact that their names coincided with their hair's colour. It was already his time.

An assured smile appeared on his lips.

"I am Nishinoya Yuu, the libero, defender of the team."

Murasakibara blinks, surely surprised. A short guy like this?

He had to defend the team?

"Kageyama Tobio.", says the number nine, calmly, but with cold, distant eyes. "Setter."

Kuroko smiles, faintly, at the mention of his position, but none says anything.

Setter, huh. The equivalent of a point guard, here.

Hinata hesitates a few seconds, before finally opening his mouth.

"Shouyou Hinata.. Middle Blocker."

Tobio's narrowed eyes see Akashi's eyebrows twitch.

His experienced blue orbs saw the little, almost imperceptible change in Akashi's body, as his shoulder tensed for one second, before relaxing into its original pose.

In what trouble did Shouyou bring them...?

This situation was so weird.

Theses players were so weird.

"Explain."

Why did everything who got out of this Askashi's mouth were orders?

And why did he ask this even though he knew it already?

Because of course Akashi knew already.

"I.. I'm concentred at the attack and the defense on the same time.. I am somehow a decoy."

"Hmm." Hums Kuroko, a small smile on his lips. "That's not different from your original position, huh."

Ah, right. What position did he play? Kageyama curiously, wanted to know.

Seeing his reaction, Tetsuya explained, ignoring Hinata's face for a second. A Hinata who maybe didn't want this information to be revealed.

As if he had a saying in this, anyway.

"He's a small forward. It's actually the same role as a middle blocker, but in basketball, as said by Ryouta-kun."

Oh. So his speciality didn't change.

Hinata was Hinata, after all.

But wait.

Wait a second.

Why did Kuroko use the present to talk about this fact?


	6. A

"Behold my Egoism."

The air and the wind. 

At these times, he could move away from his problems, and forget everything.

At this every moment, he was free, and unrestricted, as if the chains that locked him on the floor were removed.

A true deliverance, he would say.

And when he landed on the hard ground, he couldn't wait to be up again, aching for this emotion, this feeling.

One more time.

Up. Above. At the top.

more-More-MORE-

"What's your name."

He jumped, but this time, just because he was terrified and shocked of the unexpected voice behind him.

A strong, direct, and demanding voice, addressed him. It wasn't a question, but a direct demand, and the guy who spoke really suited the characteristics of the tone.

Just a bit taller than him, but intense and so much unique, standing proud on his feet, and looking bigger than he was. His eyes and hair reminded Hinata of these pink tourmaline rocks he used to study at school.

And just like that, he was captivated.

"Hinata Shouyou!"

His polite smile didn't seem to interest the other, who quickly continued his interrogation -orders-.

"How high can you jump?"

Oh, a questio- What?

He-He was watching him this whole time?

Hinata felt an intense tug of shame overcame him, and pink painted his cheeks for a long moment, in front of the patient, calm and composed outsider. Shouyou then calmed down looked perplexed for a few seconds, before atempting to grin widely at the other, his left hand ruffing his own hair.

"Well, I don't know! I just try and reach further each time! It's not like I can afford to know it, since I'm not in any club yet.."

The newcomer fell silent, watching Hinata laugh a bit, before easing an almost imperceptible smile on the corner of his lips.

"How childlike."

Hinata pouted, feeling clearly insulted, but blinked when the almost pink eyes of the other met his.

"Won't you try basketball?"

Oh. A real question this time.

When he saw the gentle smile on the face of the other, he felt weirdly attracted. This boy wasn't normal. His posture, stiff and strict, the glint he had inside his eyes.. Hinata knew, he felt he was different. Because the smirk this guy was giving him wasn't anywhere sane. It wasn't, it was..

A little bit feral.

This guy reeked strength and power.

He searched it too. He searched. He- No, they. Yes, they found each other. 

Maybe that's why he followed him the next three minutes, to find himself at the basketball team's training.

Or maybe it was just because he was curious about this new sport.

But one thing was sure.

The pink haired guy was the most genuine person he met here so far.

His smile, was after all, not that of someone who lied. 

Too bad things turned dramatic.

Too bad they all changed.

He really loved his Captain.

"You are free to leave if you wish to."

A "I don't need you" hidden in this sentence.

And the last memory of him was a heterochromatic gaze upon him, indifferent, and blank.

He remembers clearly the number four's back in front of him, walking away from Hinata.

And he remember his own hand trying to reach his captain's.

Before falling harder at each attempts.

Drowning inside his own lies. 

"We'll make it simple."

This was the calm and composed voice of Midorima.

Kageyama put his hands in his black jersey's pockets, and listened carefully. Yuu simply raised one of his eyebrows, and Hinata didn't move from his original pose.

"We want Shoyou back.", says Kise, all smiles. Aomine grunted, but nodded anyway.

A silence fell upon the place. And then, Akashi opened his mouth.

"He will be playing with us for the next three months, and we expect you to let him go, since you already-"

"The fuck you say."

A dark shade coloured Nishinoya's eyes, as he looked directly Kise. And angry he was, fists tights, and stance uptight. Kuroko made a surprised face, and blinked. Kise, him, restrained a snort, but if someone watched closely, they could see a faint fear rising into his golden orbs.

Kagami literally froze.

The temperature immediately dropped, startling Yuu, who frowned before looking at the cause of that. A certain number four, who was radiating power, and who took a step forward. This simple gesture made Nishinoya a little perplex of what he would have done if Hinata hadn't put a hand on his shoulder the next two second after all of that.

And like that, Akashi instantly froze, not moving an inch of his body but his head, who turned a little to look behind him, and finally met with the the orange head. Tobio could see his partner lock his eyes with this number four's. He could see the pleading look of his teammate, who almost begged with his orbs.

He could see it, but he couldn't move.

Not with the glance Akashi threw at him when he wanted to take a step forward.

A simple glance, who took a second.

But it was so much more than this.

As if he was given an order, even though nobody spoke, as if he was maintained by only a single glimpse.

And god, did Nishinoya even saw his eyes? Tobio's concentration was really good, as many of his opponent said. That's why he saw it.

That's why he saw the golden glint in Akashi's left eye, shining darkly, almost swallowing the previous amethyst, taking the complete control.

A whole new person was here, with another sort of aura, The kind that left you unable to move, and who pressured every persons at proximity.

Almost every.

"Please..", murmured Hinata, looking directly at this very eyes, without a trace of difficulty. But then, while taking a close look his body's reaction, Kageyama realised he was scared, because his hand trembled. "He doesn't know anything.."

Scared?, Tobio scowls. No. it's not that..

"Why should I exempt him?"

The calm voice Seijūrō used to speak hide a dangerous venom. He didn't have to raise his voice, or to yell.

All his domination was in his look, and his body itself screamed control, ruling, and mastery.

Kuroko carefully eyed the two of them closely, watching their every moves, but didn't show any attempts to intrude.

"I'll do it!"

Akashi stopped for the second time.

"Hah?!", Nishinoya butted un, incredulous.

"I'll do it, Captain."

Akashi took a while to react, and simply locked his eyes with the determinate glint in his fellow's ones.

So fierce, but at the same time, accepting and gentle.

And so exceptionally energetic.

A desperate way to get things resolved.

"𝑪𝒂𝒑𝒕𝒂𝒊𝒏 !"  
...

He could let it slide. Just this time.

"Very well."

Hinata didn't move, but his interlocutor did, taking a few small steps toward his small frame, orbs linked with Shouyou's, as he approached him. Akashi took his original position, and crossed his arms, ignoring Kuroko's odd stare.

"However.", He spoke coldly, making Kagami grimace, and Nishinoya tense, "This was my only act of mercy. Next time any of you disrespect me will be the last."

No one replied.

"We're going to start, now."

Akashi received many questioning looks, but closed his orbs, and continued.

"A match here and now, four versus four. I will be choosing the teams."

"But we never played basket-ball.", Yuu frowned a little, troubled. "And why a basket-ball match?!"

"Speak for you!", Kise laughed, "You're the only one who didn't, in this cercle. And it's only natural because the majority of us haven't played volley."

The libero threw a surprised look at his setter, who just shrugged, and avoided Hinata's piercing eyes. Aomine yawned, clearly bored here, while Murasakibara put his sweets in his pockets, god knows how. Midorima and Kuroko sighed at the same time.

"Tetsuya will be leading one team with Ryouta, Daiki, Yuu, and Shintarou. I will be the one leading Shouyou, Atsushi, Taiga, and Tobio."

"Ehhhhhh? I'm not with Sho-cchi?!"

"Why do I've to team up with this dumb blondie?!"

"Yayyy. I'll cover your back, Shochin."

"..Why is my team filled with fools but Kuroko?"

"Please stop yelling beside my ears, Kise-kun."

"Did I just got called by my first name?! Even though I'm your SENPAI?!"

"..Can't I just go back to Seirin? Coach'll be furious..."

A look from Seijūrō, and all of them stopped their whines.

They all stretched, while Kuroko was explaining all Nishinoya needed to know about basketball.

Then, when the field was ready, each of the teams reunited, far away from the other, back ached as if they were talking about a secret.

The ruckus and loud chatter of Kuroko's team made Kagami stir, but he ignored it, concentrating on the Captain's orders.

"Tobio, I believe your immediate position will be point guard."

"Of course.", Answers immediately Kageyama, unfazed by the first name basis.

"You will work with me, then. I look forward to see your so reputed skills of perception and precision." He received a nod. "Atsushi, as always."

"Uh-Uh."

"Taiga, no need to say anything."

"Yeah."

"Shouyou."

Hinata looked at the Captain, sightly stressed. Akashi simply spoke, a tone lighter than before, a little softer, and much more bearable. And Kageyama could have completely missed this if it's wasn't for his concentration.

"You're the small forward."

Shouyou's bottom lip trembled a bit.

"Can't I just.. Be Shooting-gua-"

"Shouyou."

Understanding that Akashi wouldn't have any of it, Hinata gave up, under the perplexed gaze of Tobio, who started to put the pieces together little by little, even if he was still a bit troubled.

"Shouyou, huh."

The concerned turned his attention toward Kagami, and waited silently for the cause of his calling.

And deep red meet light orange.

"What is so special about you?", asked Taiga, looking just really curious, an eyebrow raised.

"O-Oh, hum.."

"Why does Kuroko wants you back this badly? Your body isn't even fitted for sports.. You're so small and easy to break." Kagami blinks, analysing his body structure through his clothes, making Hinata a little uncomfortable. "Being fast isn't being invincible. And it's oblivious you aren't at ease here. You can leave if you w-"

Ah.

It's been a while since he heard this.

It didn't hurt anymore.

He was used to this, already.

"Keep your mouth shut."

Akashi interrupted Taiga, eyes hidden by the darkness of his hair, letting a thin glint of his golden eyes in sight. The other didn't fight, and clearly obeyed, not wanting to anger the captain even more.

And anger didn't even begin to describe the feeling that the tense body they had in view gave off. When he noticed that his control was getting out of his hands, Akashi immediately calmed down, and took a cold expression as if to hide his frustration.

"You'll see all of it on the court."

Then, they waited several seconds, before the other team declared that they were done.

Mrasakibara stayed close to the hoop, contrary to Taiga and Shoyou, who were at the front of the central line. Between the three of them were Kageyama and Akashi, already looking for their opponents.

The other team positioned Kise and Aomine in the front lines, as a small and a power forwards. Midorima was beside the hoop, and Kuroko and Yuu were in the middle. All of them were ready, body or mind into it.

The ball was given to Tetsuya's team, because of its handicap, as Nishinoya never played basket in his entire life, and just practiced dribbling a few minutes ago, so Aomine would be starting the game.

"I'm glad you're here, Sho-cchi."

Hinata met Kise's grin, but didn't respond.

"Imma show you all my progress!"

Shouyou couldn't hold back a little smile this time, with the exited face of his opponent, before looking at the carrier of the ball.

It's been a while.

The sensation of this orange ball on his hand was a weird thing to think about, now.

When Akashi announced the start, Daiki's lazy, relaxing pose immediately turned into a rigid one, and the dribbling he was playfully doing until then became faster and faster.

Tobio saw his whole face change, and automatically realised the amount of power this guy had.

He closed his eyes.

Inspired.

Expired.

And opened his deep blue eyes.

The calmness took over his body, and relaxed his muscles, under the appreciative glance of Seijūrō.

The world was clearer.

And Aomine's body who was running right towards him was clearer than anything.

His wicked smile was rather scary.

But the look of hunger on his now light blue eyes was more frightening than anything.

Tobio immediately understood that he was inside the zone, as Daiki approached, the pressure of his power growing bigger in each steps he took.

More and more powerful.

More and more menacing.

However, he thought, looking at Aomine with calm and total relaxing pose, this was just starting to get repetitively irritating. Irritating and very, 𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚 annoying. 

Kageyama started to get used to be around these kind of monsters. 

T̷h̷a̷t̷'̷s̷ ̷r̷i̷g̷h̷t.

Maybe Tsukishima was right when he associated them with illogical, stupid players. No forget it, he wasn't. This guy was a dumbass anyway. 

W̷h̷a̷t̷ ̷d̷i̷d̷ ̷h̷e̷ ̷c̷a̷l̷l̷ ̷u̷s̷,̷ ̷a̷l̷r̷e̷a̷d̷y̷.̷.̷?̷

And frankly..

A̷h̷ ̷y̷e̷s̷.

It started waking up his own hunger.

T̷h̷e̷y̷ ̷h̷a̷v̷e̷ ̷a̷n̷ ̷a̷d̷j̷e̷c̷t̷i̷f̷ ̷f̷o̷r̷ ̷u̷s̷.

The one he kept in control, not to destabilize the ones he worked with. 

S̷e̷l̷f̷i̷s̷h̷n̷e̷s̷s̷?̷

But now that there was only the strongest here, now that nobody would feel scared of this..

M̷a̷y̷b̷e̷ ̷m̷o̷r̷e̷ ̷l̷i̷k̷e̷..

He could unleash the monster inside.

"E̷g̷o̷i̷s̷t̷s̷."

And go full-power.


	7. Wonder

"So you're the so special 'Hinata Shouyou' Akashi told me about?"

"I am! He told me that you'll be my mentor! Midorima Shintarou, right?"

A blinding smile faced him, and soon, the noise of the balls hitting the floor and the screeching shoes slowly disappeared, for him to only focus at the newcomer who previously approached him with a basketball under his left arm. 

"What's your astrological sign?"

"Huh?"

"When's your birthday?

"Oh! It's June 21st. When's yours?

"A gemini, I see.", He ignored the other's lost frown, before putting back his glasses on his nose. "It's seems we'll get along well."

"What's this..Atro-Astrological? That's way too hard to spell!"

"..."

But the frustration in his demeanor quickly changed to an excited state, when he looked at his elder, stars in his eyes.

"Captain said you're an amazing shooting guard! Could you show me?"

"Hm. Wait until I finish bandaging my hand."

The smaller blinked, not loosing for a second his big smile, before sitting next to his newly met mentor, and waited patiently, gazing excitedly on a certain black tanned boy, who just dunked, a playful smile on his lips, before giving a thumbs up toward Hinata, yelling victory all over the place. Midorima watched as his cadet returned the gesture, laughing loudly. But then, the player turned his back, and concentrated on his game, making Midorima sigh.

Aomine wasn't enough. They had two hyper exited boys in the team, now..

But oddly.

As the time passes, as the matches reveals themselves interesting..

As he watches Hinata blossom in the middle of their miracle team..

He grows attached to this new player Akashi put under his wing. 

He's now used to his cadet's whiny and childlike temperament. To his Captain's indulgent behaviour, only when it comes to the little orange head, and to the rare and exclusive pat on the head that he gives him. To Aomine's rare, precious fire in his eyes whenever the two of them are in a one on one. To Kuroko's fondness and almost motherlike tendencies when Shouyou goes into incredulous and crazy situations, because god knows this little thing has no sense of preservation. To Murasakibara faint teasing about the other's height, and to Hinata's angry pout. To Satsuki making the little sun blush like a tomato when she put his head in her chest for a hug. And a bit latter, to Kise's admiration for Hinata, who makes the concerned sometimes embarrassed, but never did he refuse Ryouta a single challenge. He had a soft spot for him. 

Shintarou slowly, but surely becomes accustomed to his life becoming filled with the seven of them. 

It happened naturally. 

Akashi found the orange head playing alone in a gymnasium, and brought him at the basketball training. 

"He will be practicing with us starting from tomorrow.", The pink haired guy told Nijimura, the current captain of the team, who raised an eyebrow, ignoring the bewildered look on the other players' faces. "I will show him the basics now."

Hinata was behind him, almost as if he wanted to hide. 

Nijimura mentally facepalmed, at the irony that this innocent being was hiding behind the scariest of all the players here. 

After, he met Murasakibara. 

It was a shock for all of them to see the giant share his so precious candies with the newcomer.

This day, he showed the club what he was capable of, and Akashi had to hide the phantom of a smile, when the faces of his teammates transformed from interest, to shock, the moment Hinata ran all the field, passing the defenders, to dunk effortlessly. 

"He flew.."

Then, he went and searched for the so reputed Aomine, before meeting Midorima for the first time. 

And started from this day, loudness became usual for the basketball club. Aomine's and Hinata's laughers, quarrels, and yells became a normal thing to hear when you get past the basketball's gymnasium. 

Satsuki saw him next, and immediately decided he would be in her special care, spoiling him like a kid, under the exasperated face of Daiki.

"You two have the same age!"

"So what?!", She ferociously replied, making the tanned, big guy flinch. Hinata tensed and sweat-dropped inside her arms, as he struggled to get free. "He's so small and soft.. I'll keep him!"

"Is he a dog?!"

The next day, he brought Kuroko in practice, under the slight surprise of Akashi, and the delighted face of Satsuki.

"He's incredible!", He said, an arm over Tetsuya's shoulders, who avoided the gaze of everybody but Shouyou. "He can make himself disappear, like whoosh!"

Seījurō blinked, and turned his head toward the light blue head, who was hiding behind the orange one. Shouyou made a surprised face, before laughing. 

"Captain won't eat you!"

"Are you sure 'bout that?", Snorted Aomine, making the ball he had roll on his index. But he quickly dashed off to go see Satsuki, because of the glance his captain gave him, causing Midorima to sigh. 

"I want a demonstration."

"Yessir!" Hinata grinned, taking the hand of Kuroko to drag him in the first and biggest court of the gymnasium, followed by the others. 

And the day after, Kuroko signed up for the Basketball club. 

A week later, Kise joined. An immature, young and skilled player, who thought that being just gifted was sufficient. 

"Are you really one of them?", he looked down at Shouyou, a smirk on his lips. "Kuroko-senpai's another thing, but you.."

Hinata simply looked at him.

"Shoucchin's as much on the team than Kurocchin."

It was Murasakibara who took his defence, surprisingly. Kise just brushed it off, and Hinata gave an appreciative smile to the tallest, before deciding to continue his training, not noticing Aomine taking Kise's shirt by its collar, and Kuroko separating them. He threw at Ryouta a cold look, causing him to flinch. 

"Don't talk about Sho-kun that way."

Kise huffed, and asked himself what this short, weird boy was capable of for them to react this way.

He had his answer two days later, at a friendly match against another middle-school. 

He saw this little, tiny thing fly toward the hoop, making everyone but his own team froze for a second. He saw him passing opponents like it was nothing with an incredible speed, and even more important..

With the thing they all had, in this team. The raw, strong sparkle in his now fluorescent, orange eyes, making him look invincible.

S̷o̷ ̷H̷e̷ ̷h̷a̷s̷ ̷i̷t̷ ̷t̷o̷o̷.

Kise told the coach, while looking straight at Hinata's form on the field, that he wanted to be small forward too, making the trainer sigh, nodding. 

Not noticing the dark glint in Kise's golden eyes. 

He had found another one. 

He knew that Aomine, Akashi, Murasakibara, Midorima and Kuroko had it too.

They all had an ego.

It's a wonder he couldn't see it automatically in Hinata.

H̷e̷ ̷h̷i̷d̷e̷s ̷i̷t̷ ̷w̷e̷l̷l.

His behaviour toward Hinata quickly changed, making the concerned lost for a few days, before he finally gave in, and shrugged it off, an accepting smile on his lips. Kise apologised, and from this day on, became the favorite cadet of Hinata. 

Favourite was an understatement.

It was like watching a deep relation between a big and a little brother. 

Hinata took a good care of Ryouta, training whenever he wanted with him. Along with Aomine, the three of them were like kids pranking everyone on the club, making noise everywhere they went. 

Always together.

That's maybe why he was furious, when Haizaki Shogo humiliated Kise.

Hinata Shouyou never really cared for players like that.

Haizaki almost never showed up at practice, and when he did, he was rude and unrespectful. He was known for being violent, and often started fights over nothing.

"Stop bullying Tetsuya.", Hinata once said, when they were eating peacefully at the cafeteria, and when Shogo took a bit of Kuroko's meal, smirking playfully at Aomine's growl. 

"Don't get too cocky, shrimp."

Akashi only narrowed his eyes, and watched Midorima sigh tiredly, while Atsushi continued to eat, not a bit bothered. 

"If you're this hungry, go and take some dish."

"I told y'all before. I'm not hungry..", With a wicked smile on his lips, Shogo continued, after he wiped his mouth. "It's just that others' things look so much tastier, I can't help but want to steal it."

Hinata frowned, and Kuroko watched him silently, impassible. 

"So I heard that this Kise Ryouta wanted to be small forward.", Haizaki snorted, a dark glint in his eyes. He looked at Hinata. "Are you the one who put this idea in his head? I already beated him, why would you want me to crush him again?"

"Your violence issues really have to be solved." Hinata looked him in the eyes, the same frown of earlier in his face, clearly irritated, and unfazed by Kuroko's soothing hand on his arm. "I will tell Nijimura-san about your behaviour."

"No matter what you say, he tired to take my position, and he failed. If you're angry about his girlfriend, don't worry." He sneered, amused. "I broke up with her four hours later."

Hinata really tried to stay still.

Akashi could see it, the way he restrained his anger, looking down his dish, jaw and fists tighter than usual. That why he threw a warning look at Shogo, who didn't notice.

"So next time he dares defy me.. I'll just break his legs."

This sentence had made Shouyou sit sill. His orbs opened wildly, and his posture relaxed.

"What..DId you say..?" Hinata stood up, pushing the chair a little away, and Haizaki had to back off a little. The sound of his voice wasn't the same as earlier. 

Deeper, lower, and raspier.

The small and tiny guy wasn't here anymore. He couldn't see his little frame anymore. It was like he was at the same height than him.

Haizaki was forced to lower his head, and to look at the calm expression of the cadet.

"You know." He started, not moving an inch. "Even though some persons look like the worst people in the earth, I can sometimes see a good part in them."

The tension in the air thickened. 

"But right now, you really are stepping on my nerves."

Haizaki frowned, and kept a cold look, in front of the smaller, whose eyes were shadowed by the darkness of his hair's shade. 

"Sho-cchi! Didn't you told me you were all waiting for me to start eating?! Not faiiiir..Oh."

And like that, Kise's apparence made Hinata's aura disappear into the air. Haizaki blinked, when Shouyou turned toward Ryouta with a smile, as if nothing happened.

Then, Shogo grunted, throwing a hateful look at Shoyou, before storming off the cafeteria. 

"Haizaki..", Kise's behaviour changed, and an unpleasant rictus showed up on his face. 

"Let's sit down and eat, Ryouta.

The blond looked at Hinata, hesitated, and finally gave in, taking a seat next to Akashi. Hinata sat between Kuroko and Midorima, and continued his dish as if everything was normal. 

Then, smirking internally, he took a sad expression, before sighing dramatically.

"It's Daiki's fault! He really wanted to eat, and threatened us to do the same!"

"Hah?!", reacted Aomine, looking shocked at Hinata, who just sticked his tongue out. 

"Don't yell.", said Midorima, after finishing his noodles. "You're unnecessary noisy."

"But Midocchin, he's-"

"I don't want to hear a thing from someone who can't eat properly with chopsticks."

"Ehhh..", Whines Atsushi, pouting at Daiki. "I'm being scolded because of you!"

"How the fuck is any of this my fault?!"

"It is simply your fault, Daiki." Akashi spoke, and calmed the power forward with a look, when this one threw at him a raging expression. After taking a drink from his tea, he continued. "Refrain your explosive temper."

"What the f-?!"

"No swearings, Aomine-kun. Or I'll call Momoï-san."

"Pfffahahaha!", Kise laughed, putting a hand on his belly. 

"Not you too, Tetsu.. And stop laughing, Kise!!"

Hinata smiled fondly one all this scene, his chin resting on his palm, while looking at everybody. 

It was a calm, warm and sunny day, outside.

But he'd rather stay here, surrounded by them.

He'd rather listen to Daiki's plaintive groans, Ryouta's genuine laugh, Atsushi's childlike grumble, Shintarou's exasperated sigh, Tetsuya's impassible reproaches, or to Captain's playful remarks.

He isn't alone anymore.

And he feels it when Captain or Tetsuya passes to him, when Atsushi makes a way for him to goal, when he relies on Shintarou to score, or when he can mix with Daiki's and Ryouta's powers to make a strategy.

He isn't alone anymore.

Thanks god his family moved here. 

Thanks god he went to Teiko.

Thanks god he met Captain.

"You're spacing off, Shouyou."

"What're you waiting for, Sho? Time to practice!"

Hinata blinked, and saw as Daiki reached out for him with his hand , Akashi just behind him. Oh. The others already left.

"C'mon!", Grinned excitedly Aomine, happy to play again. "The others are goin' to the lockers, so since we don't need it, we'll go earlier!"

Hinata just looked at him, getting out of his teams, before catching his hand, a wide shiny smile on his lips.

Akashi ruffed his hair, as he complained. 

He didn't miss Captain's faint smile, this time. 

They reached the door, and a blinding light made Hinata's eyes narrow. He frowned when Aomine got into a running position, and couldn't say nothing, surprised as he was.

"You better get ready, Shouyou." Akashi, provides, seeing his lack of reaction.

"The first in the gymnasium will be nicknamed the best ace this school ever had!"

Hinata didn't even had the time to blink. Daiki started running with all his might, laughing evilly.

Shouyou took a second to understand. 

And with his captain's sigh, his legs started to work at the best of their efficiency. 

"NOT FAIR YOU GORRILLA!!"

A hysteric laugh answered him.

He felt his cheeks hurt, because of the huge smile he wore.

And in his run, he couldn't help but think..

Looking at the light blue sky above his head.

That this was a good day.


End file.
